Crocodile cleared in Keys incident

It turns out it wasn’t a crocodile that overturned a kayak and injured two people off Key Largo last month.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the April 28 encounter to see whether an American crocodile had been responsible.

The incident had taken place around crocodile habitat in the upper Keys, and the species has rebounded in numbers over the past few years. Had it been a crocodile, it would have been the first known attack in Florida by the species on a human being. But it wasn’t one.

“The FWC found no indication of a multiple-tooth bite pattern characteristic of an alligator or crocodile bite, and the scratches were not consistent with either a bite or the number of toenails on either alligator or crocodile feet,” states a news released from the agency. “It is possible, however, that a large alligator or crocodile overturned the kayak in an attempt to flee, but no animal was reported seen.”

Although there have been no crocodile attacks in Florida, the same species has been implicated in fatal attacks in Central America and Mexico.